Abia Katimbo

Abia Katimbo

Contact Information:

Extension Center (WCREEC)
abia.katimbo@unl.edu

Professional Memberships:

  • American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE)
  • Tri-Society (ASA, CSSA, SSSA)

Assistant Professor and Irrigation Management Specialist
Daughtery Water for Food Global Institute Faculty Fellow

Academic Degrees

  • PhD., Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2022
  • Masters., Land and Water Systems, University of British Columbia, Canada, 2018
  • B.S., Agricultural Engineering, Makerere University, Uganda, 2014

Certifications

  • PhD

Appointment

  • 60% extension, 40% research

Areas of Research and Professional Interest

  • Sensor-based irrigation management
  • Smart irrigation scheduling using dense wireless sensor networks
  • Developing irrigation decision support tools
  • Modeling soil water and crop water dynamics

Research Profiles:

In the News

Honors and Awards

  • 2021 Black Trailblazer in Engineering and  Fellow at Purdue University, US.
  • 2017 MasterCard Scholar at University of British Columbia, Canada

Selected Publications

  • Katimbo, A., Rudnick, D. R., Zhang, J., Ge, Y., Dejonge, K. C., Franz, T. E., Shi, Y., Liang, W., Qiao, X., Heeren, D. M., Kabenge, I., Njuki, H., Duan, J.2023. Evaluation of artificial intelligence algorithms with sensor data assimilation in estimating crop evapotranspiration and crop water stress index for irrigation water management. Smart Agricultural Technology. 4, 100176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2023.100176

  • Katimbo, A., Rudnick, D. R., Liang, W. zhen, DeJonge, K. C., Lo, T. H., Franz, T. E., Ge, Y., Qiao, X., Kabenge, I., Nakabuye, H. N., Duan, J. 2022. Two source energy balance maize evapotranspiration estimates using close-canopy mobile infrared sensors and upscaling methods under variable water stress conditions. Agricultural Water Management. 274, 107972. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2022.107972

  • Katimbo, A., Rudnick, D. R., DeJonge, K. C., Lo, T. H., Qiao, X., Franz, T. E., Nakabuye, H. N., Duan, J. 2022. Crop water stress index computation approaches and their sensitivity to soil water dynamics. Agricultural Water Management. 266, 107575. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2022.107575

  • Nakabuye, H.N., Rudnick, D.R., Lo, T.H., DeJonge, K.C., Hereen, D.M., Qiao, X., Franz, T.E., Katimbo, A., Duan, J. 2022. Real time irrigation scheduling of maize using Degrees Above Non-Stressed (DANS) Index in semi-arid environment. Agricultural Water Management. 274, 107957. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2022.107957.